Voters approve school budget for Caribou, Limestone, Stockholm

CARIBOU — Registered voters in the RSU 39 communities of Caribou, Limestone and Stockholm voted on May 25 to accept the 2011-12 school budget of $18,559,511, as recommended by the RSU 39 board members. The vote occurred during a district budget meeting held at Caribou Middle School.

Dale Gordon, chairwoman of the RSU 39 board of education, welcomed the sparse number of residents attending the public meeting and vote. Gordon’s remarks were followed by the election of Robert Edgecomb as moderator and the appointment of Laurie Chapman, administrative secretary, to serve as ballot clerk.

Superintendent Frank McElwain briefly explained the purpose of the vote, which is the first of two steps in the budget approval process. With public approval, the budget then goes to a validation vote to be held on Tuesday, June 14, at the regular polling locations in each of the three communities. McElwain also provided an explanation of the budget document.

Residents voted by a show of hands on each of the individual budget articles with the exception of article 14, which was done by written ballot.

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Article 14 states: “To see what sum RSU 39 will raise and appropriate in additional local funds (recommend $639,532), which exceeds the state’s essential programs and services allocation model by (recommended $299,640.93), as required to fund the budget recommended by the board of directions.

“The board of directors recommends $639,532 for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the state’s essential programs and services funding model by $299,640: facilities, special education and extra curricular costs.”